Nutson's Auto News Factoids - December 16-22 2013

Auto Central Louisville, KY December 22, 2013Each week
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Automotive News December 16-22, 2013

* We may see the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 soon. When Ford revealed the
all-new 2015 Mustang earlier this month many auto journos, especially those
who choose to live outside major metros, complained that Ford should have
waited for the big crowd of writers at the NAIAS in Detroit. However,
Ford’s recent low-key pre-Detroit press briefing was consistent with
its decision to debut the 2015 Mustang earlier this month before the auto
show. That decision gave the iconic pony car its own spotlight outside the
NAIAS circus – but it also cleared the way for the F-150 to launch in
Detroit without competing against its muscle car sibling.

* Kia Motors America will reveal a new concept car at the 2014 North
American International Auto Show. Conceived at the automaker’s U.S.
design studio in Irvine, CA, this stunning, (Kia's words) 2+2 sports car is
intended to turn heads while delivering superb driving enjoyment on both
road and track.

* With a full redesign and even more content than the current model,
details of the new 2015 C-Class Mercedes were revealed this week. It will
be larger and lighter with more content and a vast array of electronic and
safety gadgetry. U.S. customers will get two powertrain options, a
2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder or a 3.0-liter tubo V6, both with seven-speed
automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The C300 and C400 will be
available next fall. Pricing has not been announced.

* Lincoln announced pricing this week for the 2015 MKC small luxury
crossover. It will compete with the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Acura RDX but will
have the lowest base MSRP of them all at $33,995. For about a grand more
you can have the new 2.3-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost engine that will provide
275 horsepower. It should be in showrooms next summer.

* Will there be a Continental in Lincoln's future? Lincoln product
development chief Scott Tobin addressed the International Motor Press
Association (IMPA) in New York and revealed that the storied name
Continental is still in the brand's future product think. Will there be a
halo car or a flagship car or perhaps something to satisfy the active
lifestyle retiring baby boomers who are downsizing and re-urbanizing but
not willing to give up any luxury and comfort? We'll have to stay
tuned.

* Ford announced that the all-new 2015 Mustang has been named the
"Official Car" of the 2014 International CES. Ford will announce new
technology at the show on January 7. CES was formerly called the Consumer
Electronics Show.

* The 2014 Acura MDX luxury sport utility vehicle received the 2014
AutoGuide.com Utility Vehicle of the Year Award.

* Mustang lovers with deep pockets will want to get registered to bid at
the upcoming Barrett Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ in a few weeks. It
was announced this week that the first 2015 Mustang will be sold there to
the highest bidder - and we expect that bid to be mighty high - to raise
funds to support juvenile diabetes research. The 5.0-liter Mustang GT will
be sold January 18th.

* The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced its "2014 Top Safety
Picks" this week adding a new category of "Top Safety Pick +" . The new
category is for vehicles that pass the other tests plus have a system that
warns of impending front collisions and can apply brakes when the driver
does not. The criteria has gotten much more stringent this year resulting
in the number of Picks being down 70%. Only 39 vehicles earned the Top
Safety Pick and 20 of those received the "Plus" designation. Honda was a
standout among the automakers with six Top Safety Pick+ awards, including
its Accord and Civic sedans, Odyssey minivan and Acura RLX and MDX luxury
cars. Four Subaru models earned top honors, while Volvo and Mazda each had
three winners.

* After last week's report that GM will no longer be making cars in
Australia the company wanted to be sure that was not interpreted as a death
knell for the Holden brand. GM will continue to build Holden products for
the Aussie market, just not within that country.

* The EPA noted in their most recent Light Duty Fuel Economy Trends
report that Mazda Motor Corporation is the most fuel-efficient auto
manufacturer in the US. With the highest fleet-wide adjusted fuel economy
performance of 27.1 MPG, and the lowest CO2 emissions of 328, Mazda led the
chart for model year 2012.

* The Energy Department is predicting gasoline-powered vehicles will
continue to dominate the market through 2040. They said in a report that it
also predicts a big rise in the fuel economy of the nation’s cars and
trucks. It predicts the fuel efficiency of the nation’s cars and
trucks will rise from 21.5 mpg in 2012 to 37.2 mpg by 2040. Overall energy
consumption by the nation’s transportation sector is expected to fall
by about 4 percent. The agency predicts that in 2040, 78 percent of all
cars and trucks will run on gasoline, down from 82 percent last year. It
predicts a big upswing in micro-hybrids and other advanced fuel
technologies to 42 percent of all vehicles by 2040. Predictions are that
full hybrids will account for 5 percent of vehicles in 2040 — up from
3 percent today. Diesel vehicles will double to 4 percent from the current
2 percent. It predicts just 1 percent of total sales will be plug-in
hybrids and 1 percent full electric vehicles in 2040. The agency also
predicts that when adjusted for inflation, the price of gasoline will rise
to $3.90 by 2040, compared to a prior forecast of $4.40; it estimates
diesel fuel will rise to $4.73 by 2040, down from $5.03 in its previous
forecast.

* Infiniti will recall its 2014 Q50 sedans in the United States because
the new direct adaptive steering system may fail in cold weather. Only 23
cars re affected.

* Michelin North America Inc. is recalling 1.3 million tires after
receiving reports of tread separation that could lead to a crash. The tires
are used on commercial light trucks, full-sized heavy duty vans, small RVs
and some large pickup trucks. Some 2010 – 2013 Ford E-Series vans
used these tires.

* Just when we thought the rotary engine was dead for good with Mazda's
dumping of the niche RX8 we learned that engineers at the Japanese car
maker are developing a 0.33-liter rotary engine to act as range extender
for a prototype Mazda2 electric car. The system was revealed at a press
conference in Japan this week focused on future power trains. Mazda
currently produces for Japan an electric version of the Mazda2 with a
200-mile range, but this range-extended version would double that.

* On the subject of electric vehicles, the wheels of progress do turn
slowly. It took all of the last decade to bring electrification into the
automobile and, in general auto industry thinking, it will take all of this
decade to get a charging infrastructure in place to support EVs. In this
regard an SAE task force committee made up of OEMs, Wireless Power Transfer
(WPT) suppliers, industry experts and government representatives after
three years of discussions just agreed on two key factors to enable the
ongoing development of WPT, namely the frequency that will be used around
the globe and the power-classes of light-duty vehicles. Stay tuned but
don't hold your breath.

* EPA's fuel sipper Top 10 list for 2014 is out. With little surprise
the first six highest mpg-rated cars are all-electric, measured in MPGe
(miles per gallon equivalent). Ranked 7th is the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid
rated at 62mpg combined. Tied in 8th spot are the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi
and the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrids at a 58 mpg combined rating.

* Volkswagen Group of America reported that it has sold 100,000 TDIŽ
Clean Diesel vehicles from the Volkswagen and Audi brands this year. This
is the first time it has reached this milestone in a calendar year.
Volkswagen and Audi currently offer 12 different TDI Clean Diesel powered
models in the United States. Ever since 1977, when Volkswagen first offered
a diesel in the Rabbit, the company has sold more than one million cars and
SUVs powered by these engines in this market.

* We usually connect the air bag with automobiles. Here's an interesting
application. An air bag is being tested to be worn by a skier to improve
safety and protect from injury. The air bag inflates to protect the spine
and neck in a crash. Testing is being done to try and determine the point
in a skier's fall when a racer can no longer regain control which will then
activate the air bag.

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